Dinnerware making apparatus



Sept. 8 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,902,740

' QDINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 v 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ffi'h U I w A INVENTORA wk 5 Sept. 8, 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,902,740

DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS N IN V EN TOR. N 4 Q 550m 6. I KNBPP Sept. 8, 1959 Filed Dec. 12, 1955 G. S. KNAPP DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR- 8 650:?65 67 kwz p 77 BY 7am WWW/54L DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 650/? a". Mam y I Sept. 8, 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,902,740

DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N V EN TOR. @7624; S K/VHPP MWMQQ Sept. 8, 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,902,740

' DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN V EN TOR. 65am J n/191 p BY marywm b0: Win/q Sept. 8, 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,902,740

DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1955 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. {53 ?65 5 kA/flP/ w flmeA/ew Georg S. Kna p fibh Delaware Application December 12, 19ss,seria1-No'.-s5'2-,s20 t drama "(ch 55- 23) This invention-'relates to" appaiatlis for making'cera'mic dinnerware, and more particularly to completely autom'atic apparatus that receives 'bulk clay and turns out dinnerware.

It is among the objects of this inventioni'to provide automatic dinnerware makingapparatus whichforms clay into uniform charges that are deposited incorrect :position in or on molds oriacon-tinuous conveyor, which then jiggers/an'd -dries the clay, and which 'renioves the dried ware frorn'th'e inoldsfor further operatibnsQupon ityall without sto'pping' the conveyor. I W

The preferred "embodiment of the invention is -'illi1s'- trated in the "accompanying drawings; inwhichz Fig. I is a scherha'tic plan view ;of my apparatfis;

Fig. -2 -is a side view of the rnold charging rna'chine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line III'-'H-I "of Pig;v '2, but showing "a ir'ioldrec'eivin'g'a :cla'y change;

Fig. 4- is an enlarged yertic'al section through o'neo'f the clay. cutting devices and the underlyingmold;

Fig. 5 "is a central vertical section through the ji'ggei machine; U

Fig. -5-A is an enlarged fragmentary hori'z'ontal section taken on the line VA VA of Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is-an enlarged side view of a jigger tool during ji'ggering; v

Figs. 7, 8 and -9 are horizontalpsections through the jigg'er :inachine, taken on the lines V-IIVVII VH'I,VI H', and *IX-IX, respectively, of Fig.5; .4

Fig. 10 is a side view of the strippen partially broken away ina section; r

Fig. -1-1' is a horizontal section on line 'XI"XI of Fig-J10; i i

fig. 1 2 is -a vertical section taken 'onthe "line -XI;I--XII of Fig. 10, but showing a mold about to have its cup removedyand f I ,4

Fig. 1-3 is a'view'sirnilar to;Fig-; -5 'of amodification.

I, Referring to Fig. :1 of the drawings', the course of travel of an endless gove'rheac'l chain conveyor A io'r molds is indicated by the line withtarrows. The chain is driven by a conveyor drive B which pulls it through the jigger C and other machines of the. apparatus. As the conveyo'r chain leaves the drive, it loopsthrough the chain take-up D and then travels up an incline tothe' top of the drying chamber E. The conveyor travels back =and;forth in this chamber at. progressively lower levels and then down past the mold stripper "E; where Ware is removed frornjthe-rn'olds; From there the conveyor :loopjs around and finally returns to the mold charger G. -It wi llbe seen that the chain rotates the'topof theji'gger-{whichjn turn can'drive the mold stripper and charger through long shafts H and J, respectively. 7 V H The overhead conveyor -A consists of three main parts, anendless track, trolleys running the traclg -and an endless chain connected to the trolleysformoving them. As shown in'Figs. 3 5 and 12, an-I-beamlmakesa good track and, due to the construction of this conveyor,- the trackican be curved both horiiontally and vertically to suit local conditions and it also can be of any length Uniwd 51:31:68 tent 2,902,740 Patented Sp't; 8; 1959 desired. -It is supported fr'oin 'aliovefin a riyjsni ble niaiine'r. Each'tfrolly has a pair of wheels 2 sup orted by the lower flan'ge'sof the tr a'c'k. The wheels are 'rotat'a'bly mounted in the ripper ends O'FfdrEed mjmB sf; whichlhan'gdowh below the center'df t'he track. Alternate links' of' th'e conveyor ehainfl arprdfidd L 'tic'al' longitudinal 51ers; thro gh sbht or which 't olley forks attend. The side faces dr the forks are slotted to 're'c'eivetlie links to support the chain. when the chaiii travels forward, it pu'lls'allbf'the 'tfolleys alon g th e track with 'it. *R'igidly connected to the use e'hd each trolley'i's 'theupper end of em arin' l5, erally and thendowfiward "Directly I ach is a horizontal {h1g6 providetlwith a- 51ers ction'l supported by the lower end of the "adjbmlng arin. rings support molds 8,"infcir oh which anaemia s "formed from eramie niafe'rial. Fo'r'fhe fir'pese' if file's -trat'ion, cup rhold's are shown. k

The conveyor drive B issup orted b' ide the 'iihifyei chainin'a'n'y suitablenianne'r. '"It'isconstr'nct'e d op ate's in the same eneral ihah er'as the cbiive ir'ir dh shown'ih Fig. s r Patent 2,555,227, ahdsih'c''it i s ho particnla'r part'ofthis ii'ivefition'it will iiot'be described here. i

The conveyor, carrying "ein pty herds; travels i t the moldfchargeriG Where cylindrical "'sliigs of -clay posited" in the molds. To fe'edthe ehargehclay is d d into a'hoppe '11 shown inTFigs. '1, 2, and '3, ham w ch auge'r's -feed"it through horizontal ubes '12 to the lovv er en'd'ef a central -vertical tube '13. Tiifeclay is for'c ed in a 'eo'linnn up through the vertical m ss; "the jasper end of whichis'provided in it's backside With a noziz le l fh aving a reetangnlar slot extending across it. Theclay is forced-6hr of this slot 'ifi' the form of a thick r'i'b'bcjih T5", which is supported by an "endless horizontal con ey'or be lt 'charge '01- slug is 'c'utont of trend 'carri'ed'awa in a -'ma1rrte'r ahouttd be'de'seribed. Therest ofthe I 'lahjk, w' 611 new is scrap; falls off the froh'oenrof the belt? another heit' 24ri1'nning at right-angles to 'it' and is-ca ed back tothe hop er sothatthereis' no'ld'ss of clay a this point.

The device by which a circular slug is out ri ht a "sqnafe blank on the belt-is a cylindrical ciitter showh iii'eenfral vertical section in Fig. '4. The side Wall of the cutter 26 is tapered downward-1y in radial section to forth a cutting edge and is made of materialys'uch a's Teflongthat will not stick to the clay. The cutter is secured to the"operi bottom of a 'cylinder 27 that 'ctosedhy asto'p plate 28 that has a downwardly extending center pin 29 surrounded by vertical passages 30. -Slidable vertieal'on this pin is an ejector 31'that is connected to the lower end of rdds32 extending .11 5 throiigh the plafe to-a' piston 33 in "the top of the cylinde'i. When air pressure is applied to the to (if the piston throtigh a ce'nt'ralhole "i'n'the' to'p' ofthe cylinder,- it will force'the ejectordown'an'd 'tlier'eby push 'a charge 34 or clay out 'of 'the'cutte'r. At the same time. some of the air Will pass through a central hole 35 in the piston and down through passages '30 to insure separation of the charge from the ejector and pin 29.

' Each of these cutting devices is mounted on the 'oil'ter end of an arm 36, the inner end of which issplined on a vertical shaft 37 as shown inFigs 2 and 3. There a-re -several of these sjhafts supported byupper and, lower endless chains 38 which travel around front and rear .downward to horizontal lower levels.

J) pairs of sprockets 39 and 40 that are supported by a frame formed from channels 41. The shafts are spaced apart the same distance as the molds on the conveyor. The rear pair of sprockets 40 is driven through a vertical shaft 42 from an upper sprocket 43 that in turn is driven by a chain 44 (Fig. 1) from a sprocket 45 turned by the shaft I that is rotated by the jigger. Thus, the movement of the cutters is synchronized with the operation of the jigger and the travel of the mold conveyor.

Rigidly mounted on the upper part of each shaft 37 is a long arm 47 that extends out over the underlying cutter and then down beside it. The lower end of this arm is forked for engaging the lower part of a conveyor arm to thereby hold the mold steady as it moves along at the same speed as the cutter. For the same purpose the mold ring 6 carries a roller 48 that is straddled by a vertical fork 49 when arm 36 descends.

As the cutters are carried around the charger, they move down and up at certain points. This movement is controlled by rollers 51 projecting from the inner ends of cutter arms 36 and traveling on a cam track 52. At the opposite sides of the charger, the tracks are inclined This causes the cutters to move down toward belt 21, and the timing is such that each descending cutter will be pressed down into a clay blank 23 carried by the belt. As the cutter cuts through the clay, suction is applied above piston 33, which is thereby drawn upward. The suction, acting through piston hole 35 and stop plate passages 30, helps hold the slug 34 up in the cutter. The cutter then moves up the inclined cam track with the slug of clay in it and carries it around to the opposite side of the charger, where the cutter again moves down. This time, as shown in Fig. 4, the cutter descends into a mold that is carried along beside the charger, and the clay in the cutter is discharged into the mold by means of the ejector 31 and air pressure. The cutter then rises out of the mold and passes around the end of the charger to repeat the cycle. In this way, each mold receives a charge of clay of a predetermined size and shape, which is deposited in the mold in a predetermined location. All molds are charged exactly alike. The hole made in the center of each charge by pin 29 forms a vent that prevents air from being trapped beneath the charge in the mold.

To apply air pressure and suction to the cutter cylinders 27, each cylinder is connected by a hose 55 to a normally closed valve 56 carried by the adjoining arm 36. As shown in Fig. 3, each valve is connected by a hose 57 to the upper part of a rotating distributor 58 that is provided with internal vertical passages, the lower ends of which move alternately into communication with pipes 59 and 60. Pipe 59 is connected with a source of air pressure, and pipe 60 with a vacuum pump (not shown). As soon as a clay cutter cuts through a blank on belt 21, the valve 56 associated with the cutter is opened momentarily by an actuator 62 that is moved down automatically in any suitable manner, such as by fluid pressure. Since the valve has just been put into communication with suction pipe 60, the air pressure in the cutter cylinder is reduced and the clay charge is held securely in place. After the cutter and charge travel around to the opposite side of the machine and descend into a mold, the valve 56 is again opened, this time by a stationary cam 63. The valve being connected with air pressure pipe 59 at this time, the piston is forced down in the cutter cylinder, and the ejector 31 pushes the clay slug down into the mold. Shortly thereafter, the empty cutter rises again and passes around the rear end of the machine to repeat the cycle. Each cutter goes through the same cycle of first cutting out a slug of clay, picking it up and then depositing it in the center of a mold.

From the mold charger, the conveyor carries the mold to the automatic jigger C. Here the conveyor chain 4 passes around a large horizontal sprocket 66 and then on to the conveyor drive B. As shown in Fig. 5, the sprocket is rigidly mounted on the upper end portion of a large rotatable shaft 67, which is journaled at its upper end in the top of the jigger frame 66. The lower end of the shaft is journaled in the upper part of a stationary hollow cam drum 69 that is rigidly mounted on a central pedestal 70. Directly below the large sprocket, a circular plate 72 is rigidly mounted on the shaft. The bottom of this plate carries the jigger tools '73, of which there preferably are eight as indicated in Fig. 7. The plate is encircled by a depending skirt 74 that carries an outwardly projecting fork 75 beside each jigger tool for engaging a trolley arm 5 and holding it steady as the adjacent mold is carried around the shaft for a distance of 180.

In order to raise the molds into operative relation with the jigger tools, there is a chuck 77 below each tool. These chucks are mounted on the upper ends of vertically movable posts 78 that extend down through bushings 79 in a table 80 rigidly mounted on the lower part of shaft 67 and rotatably supported by a circular track 81. Secured to each post'below the top of the table are a pair of vertically spaced collars 82, between which there is a sleeve 83. The post is journaled in the sleeve. Projecting from the outer side of the sleeve is a laterally spaced pair of rollers 84 (Fig. 5A) that can move only up and down astraddle of a vertical guide 86 secured to the bottom part of the table. This arrangement permits the post to move up and down and yet rotate. The inner side of the sleeve is provided with a roller 87 that travels in a cam track 88 in the side of the hollow drum. This track is shaped to raise and lower the sleeves as they are carried around the drum by the table, whereby the posts and chucks are raised and lowered.

The lower part of each post 78 is splined in a pulley 90 that is rotatably supported by an arm 91 projecting downward from the bottom of the table. As the table is rotated by the central shaft 67, some of the pulleys are moved into and out of engagement with a continuously traveling endless belt 92 that is driven by a motor 93 at one side of the jigger machine, as shown in Fig. 9. The belt passes from the motor between a pair of sheaves 94 and then around other sheaves 95 which space the belt from half of the pulleys. As the table rotates and the chucks are moved up into engagement with the bottoms of the molds, the molds are lifted by them from the conveyor rings 6 and raised high enough for the jigger tools 73 to jigger the clay in the molds. At the same time, the raised chucks are rotated by the pulleys below them, which engage the belt 92. Then the molds are lowered into the rings and conveyed away from the jigger machine by the chain conveyor.

Each of the jigger tools 73 is rotatably supported by a bracket 96 fastened to the bottom of plate 72 and also extending up through an opening in it, as shown in Fig. 6. Rockably mounted on the plate is an arm 97 that engages the top of a brake rod 98 slidably mounted in the bracket above the jigger tool. When the arm is pressed down against the brake rod, the lower end of the rod presses against the top of the tool and stops it from rotating. The arm is rocked by a lever 99 that is pivotally connected to the lower end of a rod 100, slidably mounted in sprocket 66 and a bracket 101 mounted thereon. The upper end of the rod carries a roller that engages a cam 102 on the lower surface of the top of the jigger frame. The roller strikes this cam just as the chuck starts to lower the mold with a jiggered cup in it. Engagement of the roller with the cam applies the brake to the jigger tool.

While the cup is being jiggered, oil is sprayed into the mold from a tube 104 projecting from a normally closed valve 105 carried below plate 72. The valve is connected by a pipe 106 with a suitable oil supply. The valve is opened by a plunger rod 107 slidably mounted in the plate and the sprocket above it. The upper end of the reamin roller 108' that is nested downw" from t e jigger machine, the molds with friie ne'wl "gg'ered cups therein are conveyed through the di ierE carries the cups 'p'a'st st'r'i"'r' P, where they arerem the molds and deposited on endless conveyor per: 110' that conveys them to a further o erations, such handle a I, l per is in construction -z'ir'id' 'ope t'ion tot the; 'rnol charger. That is, certain elements av'el in an endless the molds sad urea, meappasne'sfae 'of the marine, e iii: :g

Like the mold "charger frame 41*; the frame 111 of stripper is suspended from a painof overhead beams ets 113 and 114 at its front and rear ends. These sprockets are connected by upper and lower endless shafts 117. The front pair of sprockets 113 is driven through a vertical shaft 118 from an upper sprocket from a sprocket 122 turned by the shaft H that is rotated by the jigger shaft 67. The chains 116 travel at the same mounted on the upper part of each shaft 117 is a long arm 123 that curves outward and downward to a forked to thereby hold the adjoining mold steady as it moves along beside the stripper. The roller 48 on the mold a valve 127 secured to a sleeve 128 splined on one of the shafts 117. Extending outward from each valve is an of a horizontal diaphragm 131 is slidably mounted. The diaphragm is pressed downward by a coil spring 132.

that is connected through its stem with a flexible tube 133 that leads to the adjoining valve. The valve is also that is connected with a vacuum pump (not shown). The distributor connects the pump with the hoses 134 only on As the diaphragms are carried around the stripper, they move down and up at certain points. This move- 128 and riding on a cam track 137. At the opposite sides of the stripper, the tracks are inclined down to to move down into the molds on the chain conveyor, and the timing is such that each diaphragm will be pressed molds. As this occurs, the air pressure in the cup is reduced because the diaphragm is in communication with raised by the inclined cam track and carried around to the opposite side of the stripper, where they again move along the side of the stripper. When the cup is a short distance above the belt, the valve is tripped by passing the diaphragm so that the cup will be released from it and drop onto the belt. In this way, each mold is rebelt 110 for transportation to another location.

From the stripper, the conveyor A returns empty cycle that has just been described.

The modified jigger machine shown in Fig. 13 is essenthat the mold chucks are not rotated but the jigger tools are. Also, jiggering of plates is illustrated, al-

it"ejngajges a cam 109 on thest'atioiiai' y frame/above it.

to "the cups in the usual manner. The conve 1 I hing. The

path along Beside use survey-er as fit the mp sin ar e cups on 1 12 and haspairs of vertically spaced horizontal sprockchains 116 which are connected at intervals by vertical 119, which in turn is driven by a chain 121 (Fig. 1)

speed as the mold conveyor beside them. Rigidly end for engaging the lower part of a conveyor arm 5 ring 6 is straddled by a vertical fork 126 depending from arm 129, in the outer end of which the hollow stem There is a hole through the center of the diaphragm connected by a hose 134 with a rotary distributor 135 the side of the stripper wherer the cups are picked up.

ment is controlled by rollers 136 projecting from sleeves horizontal lower levels. This causes the diaphragms down against the bottom of a cup 138 in one of the the vacuum pump. The diaphragm and cup then are down toward an endless conveyor belt 110 extending over a fixed roller 139 to admit atmospheric pressure to lieved of its cup, which then is deposited on the conveyor molds to the mold charger G to repeat the cup forming tially the same as the one previously described, except though the same idea is likewise applicable to cups.

conveyor chain (no e tate-re fi f. a shaft is a circular e, 142,;tliat l t 1'43. Bast an is inclined to 'tlie,;ho1 1zont' al and V ounf'donjt'he lowerlf nd offan 'incliri'edjsliaft 144 is riaied smearing 12ft erred by the liiwer em a l- 1 I t ute '1' .s Jj n ann 148 names ri tu g ia e, and is coaxial win; the '1iiiderl$i1'n chuck f mounted on each vertical spindle is a horizontal pulley 150, and. e t 151 t n rema d s ls fi 12a wsa r' d, .i n 1' 2 .si' ii' 't :b ,.=a t s..m tvr 153 supported by a bracket 154L911 th e table {hat rotates with shaft 141. The jiggeitools therefore are rotated continuouslyby fmotor.

Each chuck 149 is m opnted on the upper end of a vertically movable past 1156 that eiitte'fid's down through the table is supported -by a rc'iilr 157 fthat'rides an a statiUiiary cam 'drum '158 to raise and "lower the chuck. When a chuck is raised, it lifts a mold 159 from a conveyor ring 160 and raises it high enough for a rotating jigger tool to jigger the clay on the mold. Then the mold is lowered into the ring and carried away from the jigger machine by the chain conveyor to a drier.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A dinnerware mold charging machine for charging molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a continuously moving clay conveyor, means for depositing clay blanks on the conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality of vertical shafts connected at top and bottom to said chains at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, an annular clay cutter carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a track positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward toward said conveyor to cause its cutter to cut a slug from an underlying clay blank and then upward with the slug in the cutter and later downward toward one of said traveling molds and then upward again, and means for delivering compressed air to each cutter above the slug therein for exerting force on the slug to deliver it to one of the molds below it.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which each chain has portions traveling in straight lines in opposite directions, and said conveyor is located beside one of said straight line portions, whereby the opposite side of the machine can be placed beside a straight line mold conveyor.

3. A dinnerware mold charging machine for charging molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a continuously moving clay conveyor, means for depositing clay blanks on the conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality of vertical shafts connected at top and bottom to said chains at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, an annular clay cutter carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a valve supported by each slide, means for operatively connecting each valve with the adjoining cutter and a source of suction, a track positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward toward said conveyor to cause its cutter to cut a slug from an underlying clay blank and then upward with the slug in the cutter and later downward toward one of said traveling molds and then upward again, said valves connecting said source of suction with the cutter over said conveyor to hold slugs in the cutters, and means engaged by the valves while they are over the traveling molds to admit air to said cutters whereby to eject slugs from the cutters.

4. A machine according to claim 1, in which said clay cutter has its clay engaging portion formed of a ring of tetrafluorethylene.

Pauly Nov. 4, 1919 Bliss Jan. 2, 1923 3 McBride Apr. 13, Sebring Oct. 23, Miller Q Aug. 31, Flores Feb. 4, Miller Nov. 16, Miller Apr. 24, Miller May 22, Miller Oct. 29, Miller May 2, Gora Apr. 10, Gora Apr. 10, Nordquist Sept. 23, Briggs Feb. 24, Guthrie Jan. 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 7, Great Britain Mar. 2, 

